Statement on CQC inspection report of Urgent and Emergency Care Services

Wirral University Teaching Hospital statement following the latest CQC report on the inspection of Urgent and Emergency Care Services:  

Dr Nikki Stevenson, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Medical Director at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, said: “The CQC report dated 20th November 2024 refers to an assessment of Urgent and Emergency care in March 2024.

“We thank the CQC for their inspection as we continually improve our emergency care services. They have acknowledged that we have already begun addressing issues identified. They also referenced building work which causes short term challenges during the construction a multi-million pound Urgent and Emergency Care Facility being built while the Emergency Department remains open. It will offer a greatly improved experience for patients.

“To be rated as ‘Good’ in three out of five domains is extremely positive. This includes a ‘Good’ rating for being Effective, Caring and Well-led and this is a testament to the continued hard work of our staff and the care they give to patients. Also, in yesterday’s CQC Urgent and Emergency Care patient survey results, our Trust scored ‘better’ than the majority of NHS Trusts for support and care for patients after leaving A&E. We also scored ‘better’ than other Trusts for how well patients were kept informed about their wait and what would happen next, involvement in decisions around their care, and staff discussing with patients whether they needed health or social care services after leaving A&E.

“As with other Trusts, the Emergency Department faces very high levels of attendances. Unplanned care across the wider healthcare system created a real pressure point in the Emergency Department when the inspection was carried out in March, resulting in CQC inspectors requiring more assurance around the Safe and Responsive domains which remained as ‘Requires Improvement’.

“The CQC inspection report is critical of the practice of providing care to patients in the corridor of the hospital. This is an issue of national significance not isolated to our department and is as a result of a number of factors including our commitment to release ambulance crews back into the community to attend to those in need, unplanned care demand and bed occupancy. We understand the concern and we are working with local partners, NHS England and the Advancing Quality Alliance to improve pathways for patients into the department to mitigate against the concerns that accompany care being provided within corridors.

“As part of our winter planning, we are creating additional bed capacity which will help to reduce corridor care. Going forward, our integration plans with Wirral Community Health and Care Trust will improve and streamline care to the residents of Wirral, including those requiring urgent and emergency care. We remain committed to providing the best care to the communities we serve.”

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